Two accused of human trafficking will go on trial in November

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Two people accused of human trafficking a Dubuque teenager have pleaded not guilty and will now go on trial.

Jarod Anderson and Tana Torres both entered their guilty pleas in court last week. Torres is accused of human trafficking, sexual abuse and prostitution, among other things. Anderson is accused of human trafficking, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of minors, pimping and prostitution, among other things.

Torres has waived her right to a speedy trial and now has a trial date of November 12. Anderson is requesting a speedy trial and his trial date is currently scheduled for the same day.

The arrests were made in July after police said they were part of an ongoing investigation into an underage girl who was reported missing in Dubuque but found in Cedar Rapids.

A Dubuque teenager was abducted by a man and a woman at the Quality Inn hotel in northeast Cedar Rapids in May. She said she was given drugs, including meth, and sold for sex.

Linn County District Attorney Nick Maybanks said this is the first human trafficking charge against a minor in Linn County under Iowa's new July 2023 law that makes the crime a Class A felony. A Class A felony in Iowa is punishable by life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.

The victim's mother spoke to TV9 about the situation. The Dubuque police also shed light on the case. The police and the victim's mother dispute how quickly the girl was found.

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